Belt buckles have been available for many years with various types of clamping mechanisms to engage and disengage the inner end of a belt strap for either adjusting the length of the belt or for use with reversible belts which may be worn so that either side is visible. The 1885 patent to Wagner U.S. Pat. No. 312,679 discloses a belt clamp and loop device in which the belt clamp includes a plurality of teeth or studs which engage holes provided a short distance from the inner ends of the belt strap to receive the studs. The 1940 U.S. Pat. No. 2,219,756 discloses another mechanism for clamping the end of the belt which takes the form of a pivotable clamping member having teeth at its inner edge. U.S. Pat. No. 2,569,750 discloses a wedge-shaped locking element disposed to clamp the outer end portion of the belt strap within the buckle, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,281,440 discloses a pivotable toothed clamping member for engaging the inner end of the belt within the belt frame. While the above cited patents show various types of mechanisms for clamping the inner end of the belt within the buckle frame or keeper, the mechanisms disclosed are, in general, relatively complex in that they involve a pivotable clamping lever, or as in the case of the Wagner Patent, studs are provided to cooperate with perforations provided in the belt, and the studs must be carefully aligned and inserted for assembly. Alternatively, a panel may be used to strike the clamping member and compress it tightly into the overlapped end portion of the belt strap.
It is the principal object of this invention to provide a belt buckle of simple and economical construction and of attractive appearance which may be quickly, easily and securely attached and released from the belt strap.
It is another object of this invention to provide a belt buckle construction of the above type which lends itself to use on reversible belt straps and belt straps of maximum lengths which may be individually cut to each customer's size for retail sale.
It is another object of this invention to provide a belt buckle construction of the above type which is not only easy to use, but effective and reliable in its operation.
It is yet a further object of this invention to provide a universal belt buckle construction for convenient point of sale assembly with any of a variety of belt straps adapted to be cut to length for each customer's waist size and assembled with a belt buckle of the above type.